Music That Makes You Feel #2: The Distillers

If anyone wanted punk rebellion somewhere long past pop-punk but before the point where you feel obliged to adopt a mohican style haircut, The Distillers are for you.  They may have long split, but that doesn't mean you can't have a listen.

To 15 year old me, singer Brody Dalle was the coolest woman in the world.  I loved - and still love - her gravelly voice and don't-give-a-f*** attitude.  Everything about her was rebellion and that's a strong draw when you're 15.  

Brody Dalle (or Armstrong, or Homme, or any of the other seven surnames she's reportedly had for various reasons) often receives comparison with Courtney Love - I'll dispute that probably due to my dislike of Courtney Love!  Brody Dalle gives a far more genuine impression than Love ever has on me.  

I've heard The Distillers described before as hard-core punk, but there's certainly a melodic quality to the music that I don't tend to associate with that particular genre.  You certainly shouldn't let it put you off!

In terms of tracks to listen to, and off of the subject of my apparent girl crush, you can't go wrong if you listen to any part of the album Coral Fang as an introduction.  The title track is deserving of a mention; drums and discordant bass and guitar are rhythmic but give way easily to a more tuneful chorus. 

Drain The Blood (cheerful I know) has an excitable feel and will leave you wanting nothing more than a good mosh, if you're into that kind of thing.  The Hunger shows a softer side to Brody Dalle's voice, only occasionally interspersed by screams and a pounding beat.  Overall, it's a more laid back track in the context of a punk album.

Outside of Coral Fang, the track that really got me hooked was City Of Angels from album Sing Sing Death House.  I love the frantic punk nature of it but it remains structured and I'm drawn to the vocal harmonies against the aggressive backing.  Lordy Lordy from the same album is intriguing in that I would describe it as punk with a bluegrass influence.

So, in terms of music making me feel something, The Distillers give you a sense of rebellion and the urge to fight back.  They make me want to wear slashed jeans with fishnet tights, double up on eyeliner (which is almost impossible, as anyone who knows me will agree) and not give a... hoot.  And it makes me want to not be the kind of person to have to write hoot, but somewhere along the line I ticked a box to say this was suitable for under 18s.

But, anyway... DOWN WITH THE SYSTEM!! Or something...

Music That Makes You Feel #1: Woodkid

I've written about Woodkid a couple of times now, but it's only because you must - yes, MUST - listen to him.  There's certainly no one else at the moment that deserves to be top of the list of music with feeling, for me.

There are two things that will stand out when you listen to Woodkid - strong, orchestral music and a good story.  Strings, pianos and brass all make regular appearances and the music matches the tone and direction of the story every time.  The album seems to be a mixture of genres - modern, popular music played by the London Symphony Orchestra for example.

There are some tracks that feel like absolute musical epics and some that tell a tale.  The opening to Stabat Maker is slow, strong and haunting, and Woodkids voice is equal to the music - another instrument complimenting the music rather than an overshadowing presence.  Shadows, on the other hand, is a completely musical piece but certainly not inferior.

Outside of Woodkid's album, The Golden Age, a favourite track has to be Wasteland, which was released on the Iron EP.  To me, rightly or wrongly, it's a man expressing his gratitude for being rescued by love (it's all far more emotional than I would ever admit to feeling) - "How did you get to save me from this desolate wasteland" and "All the things you're trying to do make me a better man".  He then goes on to reflect on all of the good things that he had forgotten in misery that are coming back to him - "Most of what I used to be had vanished in the waste, the memories of the boy I've been were drowning and you saved them".

As what is essentially a love song (not the genre I'd usually go for) I find the track completely refreshing.  Rather than mourning a love lost the track celebrates the goodness of love found which, despite my heart of stone, is touching and enough to bring back the best memories.  A simple musical accompaniment of an off-beat piano, joined by a lone violin and a brass section compliments the nature of the track.  A demonstration of effective simplicity - no drum loops or synths required for impact here.

If you're after a more 'pop' song to gain your interest, you'll find it in album track I Love You.  Almost exactly opposite to Wasteland, it's upbeat and punchy describing the desperation of a love not returned, not sad in its delivery but certainly honest and with a hint of injustice - "Whatever I feel for you, you only seem to care about you, is there any chance you could see me too, cause I love you".  Equally, while it is more rhythm led there is still, what I think is, a church organ and a climactic string section towards the end.  

The talent for a good lyric is a theme throughout all of Woodkid's music and his ability to tell a story is beautiful, using metaphors without sounding like a pratt is difficult to get the hang of (I should know - I manage to sound like a pratt all the time using metaphors, I'm sure).  The Boat Song - "We tied a knot and raised a sail... The sea was rough and felt unknown... Can we keep our bearing straight, or will we be blown off course".

Deserving of a mention (they all are really but I want to leave you some mystery) is The Great Escape with its orchestral beginnings but then the fast, racing horse percussion and victory trumpets, plus "This road is finally standing up to this sky, boy we're free so what is fate to say how things are gonna turn out now".  The track Conquest starting with fairy flutes, which are soon brought down a notch by big drums and slightly sinister brass, but again so catchy and with another great line "I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces expanding between you and me".

Finally, two tracks you might recognise from the Assassin's Creed adverts.  Firstly, Iron, which I've raved about before, but it was my first Woodkid track and I loved it for being different, with its stirring and vivid imagery.

Secondly, Run Boy Run, which is urgent in its music and lyrics of escape and desperation.  I should mention the string section at the end that inspired this 'music to make you feel' series.  It was great to listen to something that made me excited to be listening to it, and happy to enjoy music so much again.  I must have listened to that a hundred times or more.

So, it doesn't matter why you listen to him - my ranting and raving, his involvement with some of the most popular modern music videos (Lana del Ray, Mystery Jets, Katy Perry to name a few), it could even be his French accent if that's what it takes - but I hope that when you do he brings you as much joy as he has to me.

http://www.woodkid.com/

Music That Makes You Feel...

Just in case you weren't already in the loop, my 25 year old body houses the mind of someone much older.  I like staying in over going out on a bender; I fall asleep with a blanket at 9pm; I take my blanket camping rather than a five litre bottle of cider.  I'm sure you get the idea.

So, now you know I'm completely qualified when I say "chart music today... it all sounds that same".  I'm sure that statement is entirely incorrect, but I genuinely struggle to distinguish one 'artist' (I use the word artist as loosely as I might if someone tried to potato print the Mona Lisa) from the next.

Fine, pop music is exactly what it says on the tin - it's popular, so clearly my opinion is in the minority.  It's designed to be catchy and easy to listen to (which some might translate as repetitive and challenging).  If I said there were no chart songs that I enjoyed or that got into my head like a little ear worm, I'd be lying, but it's certainly a minority.

But, before you all go away knowing nothing more about me than I'm the youngest OAP you've ever come across and I appear to have some kind of music superiority complex, let me just explain myself.  The problem with music nowadays (yes I did just say that) is that it doesn't make me feel anything.  Except disappointment - which as anyone with a parent willing to use emotional blackmail will know, is much worse than feeling angry.

Perhaps it's the monotonous backing tracks or perhaps it's a lack of meaning in the lyrics.  For example, consider the Black Eyed Peas track I Gotta Feeling - "Fill up my cup, Mazel tov".  More effort making the words rhyme than worrying about what they're actually saying.

And that's why, to me, finding music that really makes me feel something is a joy.  The song doesn't need to make me feel happy, just feel something... anything!! There are songs that remind me of friends I miss, tracks that I love to listen to when I feel sad or angry, and sometimes it's as simple as giving me a bit of a shiver if I love it.

So, I'd like to officially launch a short series of music that makes me feel something.... my aim was two weeks of posts but the list changes every time I review it, so let's just play it by ear shall we...?

Music: Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

New album: Modern Vampires of the City

So, while everyone else is talking about Reading & Leeds lineups (Biffy, Foals, etc) I'm going to have a jolly good rant about Vampire Weekend.  Obviously, that's entirely because Vampire Weekend are great and in no way related to being bitter about not going to Reading OR Leeds... again.

First - the news.  Today Vampire Weekend, rather cryptically, announced that their new album will be called Modern Vampires of the City and released on May 7th 2013.

After tweeting mysteriously for several days 'VW', '#MVOTC', 'LPIII' and 'MMXIII' i.e. 'Vampire Weekend', '#Modern Vampires Of The City', 'Album 3' and '2013', it was clear that they were on the brink of the announcement.  This morning the tweet read just 'NYT classifieds'.  Fortunately, I can rely on a couple of trustworthy music journalists (and a photo...) that lo and behold in the lost & found: 'Modern Vampires Of The City May 7, 2013'

As seen on Pitchfork http://pitchfork.com

Two hours later and it was official.  Now, I can spend the next four months hoping that the new album will match up to their previous efforts.

I first heard Vampire Weekend when they released their single A-Punk and was immediately drawn to the sheer madness of it all.  The whole track hangs together on what seems like a thread - as though any second it could all descend into chaos.  I don't think that my 19 (ish) year old self had really heard anything like them in new music - I suspect it was the last time I really loved anything in the chart.  Next came Oxford Comma - the whole track is so simple when you break it down to it's component parts, but it manages to maintain it's unpredictability, a theme that ran through the whole first album and into the second.

I have two memories that stand out about Vampire Weekend.  Many years ago (four years ago) I worked in a well known high street music retailer (HMV).  A man approached the counter - not unusual as you might imagine - but when he opened his mouth I realised I was dealing with a first class w*****.  "Excuse me my dear, please could you tell me which of these two Vampire Weekend albums, might be considered more Afro-pop? I'd like to listen to some Afro-pop".  Oh Lord...

The second is seeing Vampire Weekend live when I DID make it to Leeds Festival.  Singer Ezra Koenig strolled onto the stage in some khaki shorts, a plain t-shirt and his loafers.  I glanced to the person next to me - we'd only heard the first album at this stage and we weren't quite sure how they were going to match up to the energy it had - especially not in loafers.  Completely unassuming, the crowd watching with an air of expectation.. "I see a mansard roof through the trees... I see a salty message written in the eaves... The ground beneath my feet, the hot garbage and concrete... And now the tops of buildings, I can see them too" and the whole tent (it was a festival remember) erupted with the music.

As well as a new album, tour dates have also been announced.  Though it mostly covers the US, they do have one London date, at The Troxy on May 8th.

www.vampireweekend.com

Vampire Weekend Twitter

Music: thenewno2 - Never Too Late

Spacesbetweenwordsissoyesterday

In brief - because it would be easy to write a manual on this lot - thenewno2 are singer / guitarist Dhani Harrison, keyboard / programmer Paul Hicks, keyboards / guitarist Jonathan Sadoff, guitarist Jeremy Faccone, bassist Aaron Older and drummer Frank Zummo.  A band including Grammy Award winners and a Beatles' and a Hollies' child, experienced in not only making music but also films and artwork, and who are not shy of a side project are clearly going to fit the brief for any challenge.  For a film score, for example.

And here is where we meet the track Never Too Late.  Never Too Late is one of two currently unreleased tracks by the band that feature on their score for upcoming film Beautiful Creatures, which counts Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson among it's cast.  The films director, Richard LaGravenese, asked for a sound that he had never heard before, and said that he was 'knocked out' by the bands ideas, excitement, and creativity as they created a new genre, which the band dubbed 'swamptronica'.  Thenewno2 recruited almost a dozen extra voices and influences for the score, including The Duke Spirit's Leila Moss who features on Never Too Late as well as Run To Me (also featuring Ben Harper).

In anticipation of the release of the soundtrack on February 12th (followed by the film, Beautiful Creatures, on February 14th) you can listen to Never Too Late on Soundcloud.  You will find that the track fits perfectly with film music.  The variances in texture, from sparse and myseterious to thick, epic string undercurrents, and the unpredictable rythms and chords make for a piece of music that is able to capture your interest to hear it to the end.  Leila Moss's smooth, unassuming but powerful vocals compliment the track, as do the guitar solos, while it all builds up to a dramatic and slightly discordant, haunting finish.

You will find Never Too Late below, but to hear more please visit the Soundcloud page.  You can also visit their website or follow them on Twitter (@thenewno2).

Release of the Beautiful Creature Original Motion Soundtrack, on Watertower / Sony Music is on February 12th 2013.